Feeding mechanism for plates and the like



. T. B. HUGHES, W. J. DAVIS AND D. D. HUGHES.

FEEDING MECHANISM ron PLATES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27{ I920.

Patented July 5, 1921.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITA ESSE S T. B. HUGHES, W. J. DAVIS AND D.. D. HUGHES. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PLATES AND THE LIKE. I APPLICATION mm mm], i920. 1,383,304.

Patented J y'5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 llllllll 1v T. B. HUGHES, W.. J. DAVIS AND D. D. HUGHES.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PLATES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APILZT. 1920.

Patented July 5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- m r/vgjs'sss 7 ATTORNEY.

THOMAS B. HUGHES, WILLIAM J.

PATENT OFFICE} :oAvIs, AND nAvIn DANIEL HueHns, or GRANITE cm, ILLINOIS. v

FEEDING- MEGHANISM FOR PLATES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Iatent. t t Jul 5, 1921 Application filed April 27, 1920. Serial No. 37 ,935.

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that we, T oM s B.

Huerms, WILLIAM J. DAvIs, and DAVID D.

cally fed to a cold-roll or other mechanism.

Another object is to so construct such a machine that the plates will be removed by the operator.

suction, one at a time and carried to the re- CBIVlIlg mechanism of a workmg machine.

Another ob ectis to construct such a machine so thatthe operation will been.

tirely' mechanical and .maintained oontinu+ ouslyyet is at'all tlmes within the control of With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear asthe description,

proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination and arrangement of parts and 1n the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood.- that changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing r Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the mechanism constituting this invention.

Fig. 2 is a. side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section with parts "broken out ofthe plate engaging funl step pulleys 25 and 26have thestepsthereof tapered in opposite directions so that the speed of rotation of shaft 28 may be innels and their adjacent parts.

Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal section of T the funnels; and 5 "Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal Sara. taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment illustrated the mechanism constituting this invention is mounted on a base member 1 which preferably comprises two sides connected by a top 2 to form a hollow structure. Mounted on the top 2 This invention relates to feeding mech are parallel track. rails 3. on which a car 4 is mounted totravel. This car 51 has the bottom 5 thereof made comparatively low and is supported by front and rear wheels 6.

A frame is also supported on the base member 1 and is'coinposed of uprights 9 and cross bars 10. This-frame is so constructed as to permit the car 4 to have movement therein in its path of travel along the track 3,

Shafts 11, 12, 13, and 14 are journaled in the uprights 9 and cross bars and extend transversely of the frame in a plane above that occupied by the floor or bottom 5 of the the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 3. A i

A drive shaft 19 extends transverselybetween the side members of base 1 and has fixed thereto a drive pulley 20 around which is passed a'belt 21, which extends to any suitable source of motive power and transmits revoluble movement to the drive shaft 19. A sprocket 22 is securedon the drive shaft 19 and revolves therewith and a. sprocket chain 23 passes over the wheel 22 and a sprocket gear 24 mounted on. shaft 11, whereby movement is transmittedthrough said shaft '11 to the conveying webs or belts 17and18. l 1.

A tubular operating shaft 28 is mounted to rotate on a hollow shaft 30 arranged transversely of the machine in rear ofthe plane occupied by the shaft 13 and has fixed thereto a step pulley 26 over which passes a belt 27. Thisbelt 27 also passesoveranother step pulley secured to shaft 13 to transmit, motion from shaft 13 to shaft 28,

for a purpose presently to bedescribed, The

The shaft 28 has hollow arms 29 extending at rightangles therefrom .at diametrically oppositepoints, the hollow shaft 30 having an opening 31 inthe reartwall thereof which is designed to register with one 7 or the other of the arms 29 during the turningof shaft28, as is shown clearly in Fig. 4. 4 -Eunn'els 32 and 33 having a cylindrical necks 5 34 are mounted for sliding movement-on the wear-ms ;29, said -.funnels being connected by '3 rods 35 so that they will move in'xunison',

The weight ofthe connected funnels causes them to slide ontheiarms"29xwhen theshaft 10 28 is rotated so that one funnel wi-ll-be positioned for. engagement with one of the shaflft'zO which communicates with the shaft {arm 29, er -rather with one ofthem .sothat suction will be;alternatelyproduced inthe 5 funnels' 82 "and '83. It will thus be seen 'fthat'when" the machine is in operation, mo-

3 tien' will be {transmitted from the driving shaft19-tothehollow shaft 28' which rotates them to -'-'slide onthe .arms 29 and one of them "which isin communication with the hollow shaft 30 engages .one oftheplates -,37fand-"carries"it over and deposits it on theibe-ltsfl'? and {18; the plate being released "whenfthejs uctionin the :funnel carrying it J is broken and this occurs when said funnel passes Lout ,ofregister withthe opening 31 fin the-tube orhollow shaftSO.

40' Tomaintain-the car 4 always at a posi- 1 tion in whichthe funnel, which is in com- V. munication with shaft 30 will contact with and take ffrom'the car one of the plates 37,-

"it is esf'sen tiatthat some meanstbeprovided -4 move'the car alongthe track 3 a prede- 1 termined .di s,tance with each half rotation f of sha'ft 28,and consequently this movement j mustbe judged by the rotation of said shaft *28. {To accomplish the object above set,

forth,:sprockets42"and 43 are mounted on 'ftheshafts44'and Q45 and over which passes I "a sprocket chain 46. This chain 46Lhas a plurality ,of'spaced lugs 47 moiuited to proj'ect from the outer face thereof and when {the parts are in thepo'sition indicated in :the' several viewsftan'd motion is transmitted j; to ;this sprocket (:hain '46,.one of the'lugs 47' 6'5' A ratchet wheel 48 is'mounted on a trans --lever 50. ;at right angles to shaft 49;-iandcearries a ating conditions. r

verselydisposed shaft 49 journaled in brackets carried by the sides of the base 1. An arm-50 is pivoted on theshaft 49 for swinging movement with respect to the ratchet wheel 48 and is provided with a dog 51 to -.engage the teeth-of the ratchet wheel- A wbevel gear 52 is secured on the shaft 49 to be revolved as movement is transmitted to the Pratchetwheeli. by; the swinging of the A shaft 53 is mounted to extend beveled gear 54which meshes with the gear "52; *A-worm55' is secured to the shaft53 and meshes with a worm wheel 56, fiX6Ci to the shaft 44, whereby the'tuniing. movement of the ratchet'wheel'48-willzbe transmitted to the shaft :44 and thereby operate lithe chain 46.

1Av crank-disk 57 is "secured to one end of the shaft 13 and a link 58 connects itwith the lei'zer 50, said; lever having a. plurality of openingsi59 to provide forgthe adjustable connection. of the. link '58 therewith; "This connection of. link '58 I with lever-i503 regulates thevextent 'of swinging movement of said lever to varythe distance which the ratchet wheel '48 will be movediforwar'd by w the engagement of the. dog 51 therewith. carrying withit the connected funnels 32 1 3-0 and33'. This rotation of thefunnels causes plates orplates of any other material may 'be fed to a working mechanism without manual handling, and that the plates: are taken one by "one from a common carrier orholder and each, is operated upon separately and is'fedfatjust the properipoints; further it is evident that jthe V machine is automatic in its operation, eachjpart being accompanied by a mechanical; movement and the several partsfthereof may be regulated and adj usted' to accommodate varying oper- From the foregoing description, taken in conn'ection with the accompanying drawings, the'advantages-of the constructionzand the method of operation will'be readily apparent tothoselskille d infthe artjtowhich the invention appertains and. whilefIhave described the principleof operation of the invention together withthe devioewhichrl now consider .to be" thef'bestfembodiment thereof, I desiregto"haveit,understoodthat the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes maybe made asfare within the scopeofthe claimed invention/ What isrclaimed is: V 1.' A 'platehandling machine comprising means for supporting a stack of plates, and rotatably and slidably mounted oppositely disposed connected suction funnels for alternately engaging a plate/co convey it to a place of deposit.

2. A feeding mechanism for plates including a plate carrier, funnels rotatably mounted on a common axis to successively pick the plates from the carrier, each funnel being radially movable inwardly prior to releasing a plate and being radially movable out- Wardly, after having released the plates substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. HUGHES. A WILLIAM J. DAvIs.

DAvID DANIEL HUGHES.

Witnesses:

WM. NIEPERT CHAs. J. DE lloUssE. 

